Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in strong in support of H.R. 7757, the Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act, or the KIDS Act.

This package will finally give parents real tools to protect their kids online. A key provision in the KIDS Act is my Kids Online Safety Act, or KOSA. I have been working on KOSA, Mr. Speaker, for 3 years, and I am proud to see it finally reach the House floor.

The need for action has never been clearer. Nearly half of American teenagers say they are online almost constantly, about half spend 4 or more hours a day on screens for leisure, and 95 percent have a smartphone in their pocket, placing them in a digital environment that too often prioritizes engagement and profit over safety.

Big Tech platforms are not neutral. Their algorithms are designed to maximize attention, not protect kids.

Mr. Speaker, kids are pushed toward harmful content, targeted by predatory actors, and funneled into design features built to keep them scrolling longer.

Families across the country have paid the price, Mr. Speaker, from exploitation and harassment to content that fuels anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and self-harm, unfortunately. That is why this bill and KOSA, in particular, are so very important.

It establishes clear, targeted obligations for large online platforms to take steps to prevent and mitigate specific harms to minors.

It focuses on addressing documented risks, such as sexual exploitation, drug and alcohol abuse, eating disorders, and self-harm content that can be amplified through algorithmic recommendation systems and engagement-driven design.

KOSA requires platforms to put in place concrete safeguards, limiting harmful design features, improving transparency around how systems impact children, and giving parents strong tools to understand and manage their children's online experiences.

It also ensures Big Tech is held accountable for their decisions through FTC enforcement and State attorneys general.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the full committee and the excellent staff. We never gave up. We persevered, and we have a good product, thanks to them.

I thank the ranking member as well, Mr. Pallone, and Ms. Castor, for working with me on this piece of legislation. Again, the chairman gives me credit, but he is responsible as well. The goal is to protect the kids, and I appreciate all the input from the parents over the years.

Mr. Speaker, let's get this across the finish line and protect our children.

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